[uh
b-zur-vuh-buhl] 
| 1. | capable of being or liable to be observed; noticeable; visible; discernible: an observable change in attitude. |
| 2. | worthy or important enough to be celebrated, followed, or observed: an observable holiday. |
| 3. | deserving of attention; noteworthy. |
| observable (əb-zûr'və-bəl) Pronunciation Key
A measurable property of a physical system, such as mass or momentum. In quantum mechanics, observables correspond to mathematical operators used in the calculation of measurable quantities. Operators that do not commute, having a nonzero commutator, correspond to observables that cannot be precisely measured at the same time, such as momentum and position. See also uncertainty principle. |